Closer
by Writer'sInsanity
Summary: To Ansa88 for the Secret Santa challenge. Looking over Wally and Artemis's relationship. Spitfire


**For Ansa88, Merry Christmas!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice or Can't Fight This Feeling Anymore.**

_I can't fight this feeling any longer._  
_And yet I'm still afraid to let it flow._  
_What started out as friendship,_  
_Has grown stronger._  
_I only wish I had the strength to let it show._

The day Artemis and Wally made a temporary truce on their constant bickering was the day Wally broke his arm against the Injustice League. The truce was merely just a whisper in his ear while she was bandaging his arm, but it was enough to make them lessen their fights. It was a nice break, to be honest, and over time, they built a lasting friendship and brought Robin into it as well.

The three were very friendly towards each other, but they all had their unique relationships. Wally and Robin were bros, no doubt, as they often showed every day. They hung out as often as they could, after school, at the Mountain, at their houses. Robin and Artemis had a very close brother and sister bond, always acting protective, always watching their backs, always being there if one felt their life was going down the drain. They were all attached by the hip.

But Artemis and Wally had a relationship that differed from the normal "bickering siblings". They always liked each other at a certain extent, but as time passed, their bond grew stronger, and in a different direction than their friendships with Robin.

Perhaps, maybe, it was growing into something more?

_I tell myself that I can't hold out forever._  
_I said there is no reason for my fear._  
_Cause I feel so secure when we're together._  
_You give my life direction,_  
_You make everything so clear._

They both had their secrets, as they had the right to. They hid their insecurities, their deepest fears, their feelings, as did everyone else. Wally was still in the dark about her family and her fear of becoming one of _them._ Artemis wasn't aware about how much Wally's friends meant to him and how his parents weren't exactly the, for lack of a better word, best people out there.

Why didn't they come out? Wouldn't they understand, wouldn't they always stay by their side, as they promised? Both of them really weren't sure what they were afraid of. Rejection? Weakness? Being abandoned? They would always reassure themselves on how they would tell sooner or later, how trust would build and over time, they would open closed doors and let the others in their room of secrets.

Artemis _trusted _Wally with her life, which was saying something, considering she was formerly on the darker side. Wally _trusted _Artemis enough to put his friends' lives in her hands, which was also remarkable in its own way, since a superhero cared more about everyone else's welfare more than their own. At certain times, though, trust wasn't enough. Right now, it was the something that kept them all together.

_And even as I wander,_  
_I'm keeping you in sight._  
_You're a candle in the window,_  
_On a cold, dark winter's night._  
_And I'm getting closer than I ever thought I might._

Artemis had nightmares like everyone else, except she was proud to say that hers weren't the "wimpy" ones people tended to have. That never meant that she didn't bolt up on the verge of screaming on occasion. The times she stayed overnight at the Mountain were worse. Somehow, it radiated a sense of danger which invaded her dreams, causing her nightmares to be worse than usual.

Wally would bolt to her room, soothing her and running his fingers through her disheveled locks, whispering strings of words that sometimes didn't make any sense and on rare moments, hum a lullaby. When she asked why he was so good at comforting a person who came fresh out of a nightmare, he would always reply with, "Experience. I've done this plenty of times," and she would always believe him and leave the matter alone. It seemed to be a sensitive subject and something she shouldn't pry into. It was another thing she didn't know about Wally, but frankly, she didn't care. All the same, they were close, they were there when they needed comfort, and that was what really mattered.

_And I can't fight this feeling anymore._  
_I've forgotten what I started fighting for._  
_It's time to bring this ship into the shore,_  
_And throw away the oars, forever._

A couple of years after that certain New Year's Day, the one that changed their lives as they knew it, Wally and Artemis quit. Just like that. Wally couldn't bear seeing anyone they loved hurt, not anymore. There were countless times where there was someone that he cared about resting near the brink of death, not to mention the times he saw them with injuries that weren't life-threatening but painful all the same.

It applied especially to Robin and Artemis, the human members of the Team. The two tended to get hurt more than the powered ones, and though they were still capable of taking care of themselves as much as M'gann, Conner, Kaldur, and Wally, and worked harder than the rest of them, they were more fragile, and landed in the infirmary more often.

Wally had to put a stop to it, and admittedly a little selfishly, he left the Team, bringing Artemis with him, who partially agreed but was reluctant to leave the life.

_Cause I can't fight this feeling anymore._  
_I've forgotten what I started fighting for._  
_And if I have to crawl upon the floor,_  
_Come crushing through your door,_  
_Baby, I can't fight this feeling anymore._

The New Year's kiss sparked something between them. There had always been a spark, but that kiss was the match that lit the fire. The times Robin had always teased them to "get a room already", the times he pushed them together, that time when he managed to make both their wrists share a pair of handcuffs and locked them in a closet, all those times brought them closer and closer, throwing more wood and lighting more matches until finally, a fire emerged.

_My life has been such a whirlwind since I saw you._  
_I've been running round in circles in my mind._  
_And it always seems that I'm following you, girl,_  
_Cause you take me to the places,_  
_That alone I'd never find._

When they met, they did get off of the wrong foot. Wally let his emotions speak for him and snapped at Artemis, who he at first thought was a mere replacement for Roy, a cheap fill-in for Speedy. Artemis shot her own chain of words right back at him, a short and quick reply that was truthful and contained the same amount of bite as his question did.

It was bad luck, they thought, how they usually ended up being paired up in missions even if they were matched with someone else first. Eventually, trust built and the once bitter rivals warmed up to each other. Eventually, their quarreling ceased and they got along: they could laugh with each other, not at each other, they had their own talks where they spilled out their secrets one by one, and they hovered nearer than usual during team bonding sessions.

_And even as I wander,_  
_I'm keeping you in sight._  
_You're a candle in the wind,_  
_On a cold, dark winter's night._  
_And I'm getting closer than I ever thought I might._

Wally was Artemis's light in the murky waters she slowly drowned in. Artemis was Wally's ladder out of the hole he dug himself into. Never in a million years did they think that they would become this relaxed when they were side by side. But they did know the unpredictable happened a lot.

They meant more to each other than anyone else. Over time, Wally became more protective and started to shield Artemis from the dangers of being a vigilante, going as far as to leave the life. He was scared that he would lose her, and that she wouldn't be there anymore to help him joke around with a genuine smile.

_And I can't fight this feeling anymore._  
_I've forgotten what I started fighting for._  
_It's time to bring this ship into the shore,_  
_And throw away the oars, forever._

It was a simple college life, get up, go to classes, then study, finish homework, and maybe, if they had any spare time, spend time alone, just with each other, or with the friends they made on campus. Once in a while Dick would drop by, check up on how they were doing, and they would go out to the nearby café to share a drink, get updates on the latest news, whatever was on their minds.

When Dick came to them with the mission for Artemis, Wally immediately refused. They were out of the life… so why was Artemis so eager to comply? He realized that, no matter how long he kept her away from the mask, she would always want it back. So maybe, this one time, it was okay. That was all he needed to give permission, he knew she wanted it.

_Cause I can't fight this feeling anymore._  
_I've forgotten what I started fighting for._  
_And if I have to crawl upon the floor,_  
_Come crushing through your door,_  
_Baby, I can't fight this feeling anymore._

In the warehouse, he wasn't ready to let her go, not yet. Hold onto her a little longer, you have no idea when she'll come back. When Wally held Artemis, he held her close, closer than ever, grip strengthening, clutching her like no tomorrow, because there was this slight possibility that maybe there wasn't going to be a tomorrow.

With Artemis, he felt safe and calm, and he wasn't going to let her go without a proper goodbye. They would keep in touch, but it was going to be some time before they would actually meet face to face again. With her, the world could end and he wouldn't care. It might be them against the world, but they were closer than most and they would make it through, no matter how much the odds were against their favor.

**Spitfire is one of the hardest couples for me to write… I hope you like it, Ansa88! :)**


End file.
